North Carolina state beverage: Milk

Although many may expect North Carolina’s official state drink to be sweet tea, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation in 1987 that made milk the official state beverage.

As of 2009, North Carolina ranked 31st in milk production among other states. North Carolina dairy farmers provided 892 million pounds of milk in 2008 and produced approximately $191.8 million in value. The top-producing counties in North Carolina are concentrated in the Piedmont and the western half of the state, with Iredell, Randolph, and Yadkin counties leading the way. As of 2009, approximately 45,000 milk-producing cows were in North Carolina.

Along with being an excellent source of calcium, milk is also a great source of vitamins A & B, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and protein.